Kylian Mbappe has it all as a footballer, he’s quick, scores lots of goals and has an iconic celebration as well.
We’ve all seen him do it so many times for club and country, but the origins of this move are humble.
Mbappe scores, then folds his armsCredit: Getty
It’s a celebration that kids all around the world recreate on the playground, and with Euro 2024 coming up, we’ll probably see it plenty of times.
Why does Mbappe fold his arms when he scores?
The French superstar has elected for a rather straightforward celebration.
When he scores, he either runs, jumps and folds his arms or slides along the floor and folds his arms.
And the idea for the celebration actually came from Mbappe‘s younger brother, Ethan.
Writing about the celebration in his autobiography, he said: “He [Ethan] scored a goal and celebrated by crossing his arms.
“Five minutes later, he stopped and said, ‘Kylian, you could do that in a match.’ So, I did it.”
However, in another interview, Mbappe revealed it was actually from Ethan playing FIFA with him.
Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “In fact, it was not me who came up with it. It was my brother when I played with him on the PlayStation.”
Ethan is the man behind Kylian’s celebration
Mbappe is set for a move to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and according to AS in Spain, he wants to trademark his celebration.
This would mean it would become his intellectual property and any products or brands seeking to use the celebration would need to pay or get Mbappe’s permission.
So not only is it an iconic move inspired by his brother, it could also turn into a lucrative one for the French superstar.